NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Cherokee, NC
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
7 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Cherokee, North Carolina since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 15 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 15
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
2 deaths in all
What the records show for Cherokee
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Cherokee; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 4 miles away. The record near Cherokee begins with an unnamed storm in 1901; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 33 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 3 systems. Of the 7 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site, 99% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Cherokee. The highest rating among the 15 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2, reached 2 times; the most recent, on June 28, 1976, came within 15 miles. The deadliest, an F2 on April 3, 1974, killed 2 people. Of the 15, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 8 have come since 2000. The most recent tornado was on May 8, 2024. Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 96% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Cherokee. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 23 times since 1993, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 95% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Cherokee.
Compare Cherokee's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Cherokee
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 15 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Cherokee: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Cherokee
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s5
- 1970s7
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | F2 | 18 mi | 24.1 mi | 2 / 11 |
| Jun 28, 1976 | F2 | 15 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 2024 | EF1 | 22 mi | 1.52 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 2024 | EF1 | 18 mi | 9.38 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 6, 2022 | EF1 | 9 mi | 0.45 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 13, 2013 | EF1 | 17 mi | 1.88 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 13, 2013 | EF1 | 20 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 29, 1976 | F1 | 20 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 18, 1976 | F1 | 20 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 18, 1976 | F1 | 20 mi | 3.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 18, 1976 | F1 | 3 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF0 | 23 mi | 1.75 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 15, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Cherokee
The Storm Prediction Center has 23 hail reports within 10 miles of Cherokee since 1993, made on 20 separate days. Of these, 9 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), fell on May 24, 1996. The most recent report is from July 8, 2016. April has the most reports, 8.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Cherokee
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Cherokee, NC, 1 mile southwest of Cherokee at 1,965 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 83°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 46°F and 26°F. March is the wettest at 5.8 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 56.6 inches over 91 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 12 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 121 nights a year. Snowfall averages 6.5 inches a year, most of it in January. That 56.6 inches is more than at 110 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (79%). Sylva, 10 miles southeast, has its own station (Cullowhee, NC): 54.1 inches a year, 2.5 less than here, and a July average high of 85°F against 83°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46 | 26 | 4.7 | 8 | 2.6 |
| Feb | 51 | 29 | 5.0 | 8 | 0.9 |
| Mar | 59 | 34 | 5.8 | 8 | 0.9 |
| Apr | 68 | 42 | 4.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 75 | 51 | 4.7 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 80 | 59 | 5.1 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 83 | 63 | 5.2 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 82 | 61 | 4.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 78 | 55 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 69 | 43 | 3.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 58 | 33 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 49 | 29 | 5.7 | 8 | 2.0 |
| Year | 66 | 44 | 56.6 | 91 | 6.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Cherokee, NC (1,965 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Cherokee
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 84 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Cherokee: 65 thunderstorm wind reports, 8 flash floods, 7 floods and 4 lightning strikes. They killed 1 person and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $3.9 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on June 15, 2011. July has had the most flash floods, 3 of 8. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 81 have had fewer than Cherokee.
July 27, 2014: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Cherokee — 1 killed, $5,000 damage.
June 22, 2019: lightning strike 9 miles from the centre of Cherokee — 2 injured.
June 17, 2024: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Cherokee — 1 injured, $1,000 damage.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Flood insurance policyholders in Cherokee's ZIP code 28719 have filed 13 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1990, and were paid $247,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. Of the 263 North Carolina cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 26 have fewer than Cherokee.
Swain County, which includes Cherokee, has been named in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1993, 6 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 hurricanes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 fires, 2 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Helene, on September 28, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Swain County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $9.8 million a year, the 85th highest of 100 North Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $6.1 million (62%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Cherokee
- Whittier, NC6 mi
- Sylva, NC10 mi
- Maggie Valley, NC12 mi
- Bryson City, NC12 mi
- Waynesville, NC17 mi
- Gatlinburg, TN19 mi
- Cullowhee, NC19 mi
- Clyde, NC21 mi
- Cosby, TN22 mi
- Franklin, NC23 mi
- Pigeon Forge, TN25 mi
- Canton, NC25 mi
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